


Conflict of Interest

by Bad_Egg



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Conflict of Interests, Drunkenness, Eventual Romance, F/M, First Kiss, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 11:51:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10786209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bad_Egg/pseuds/Bad_Egg
Summary: A skilled agent is assigned as added security at the New Avengers Facility, to watch over the recently awakened Winter Soldier. But the atmosphere is less than friendly and the situation eventually gets a little more complicated...





	Conflict of Interest

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of a writing challenge. The prompt I was given was the song "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran and this was the result! I also had a little bit of inspiration from this snazzy little gif too: http://stuckwithbuck.tumblr.com/post/146835786408 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story!

Your phone lit up at the press of a button and you noted the time glowing on the display.

_9.03pm_

You could hear the bass of the music carrying down the halls to your room, along with a hubbub of conversation and laughter. Tonight, was the night of one of Stark’s infamous parties, which was clearly in full swing already. You were just waiting on Maria to finish up in the bathroom before the you could head down and join the rest of the team for what promised to be a lively night off.  
  
The two of you had been so busy lately that you hadn’t had a chance to catch up on recent events. Sure, you received official updates as all agents did, but the two of you hadn’t been able to kick back and relax as the good friends you were for what felt like months. In fact, it probably was months. You hadn’t managed to properly speak with her since you had been assigned to watch over the newly awakened Winter Soldier.

And boy had that been eventful.

There was still a lot of tension between Tony and Steve after what had happened the last time Bucky was around and even Bucky himself wasn’t best pleased to have been taken out of cryo without, what he called ‘a definite fix to the switch HYDRA had put in his brain’. But for whatever reason, Steve had been adamant that they needed Bucky’s help in the storm that was currently brewing. Intelligence had come through that an all new threat may be surfacing, which meant the Avengers had once again begun preparing themselves in case they had to take on a brand-new enemy.

Despite being on high alert, Tony felt that all work and no play made the team a dull bunch. Hence the reason for you sitting on your bed, in an actual dress and sipping on your second beer of the evening.  
  
“So, things are better now?” Maria asked, her voice carrying through from the open door to the bathroom as she fixed her hair in the mirror.

“Sure. I mean, he still isn’t sunshine and rainbows all of the time, but at least we’re not at each other’s throats anymore.” You replied.

The conversation was still all about your latest assignment, James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes.  
  
Tony had not been happy about the soldier’s return and it took a lot of convincing for him to agree to let him stay at the New Avengers Facility. But Steve had insisted that they needed high security to ensure no one could get to Bucky and start using him as a weapon all over again. Eventually Stark agreed, but not without first demanding that Maria assigned an agent to him to ensure he was under constant observation.  
  
Being ‘one of the most promising agents to move through the ranks in recent years’, you were picked to be the lucky candidate.

But honestly, neither you nor Bucky had been best pleased with the arrangement.

You were a field agent and you had grown accustom to working that way. Stuck working surveillance in a facility was a vast contrast to what you were used to. But Maria had persuaded you that it was integral, not only Bucky’s safety, but for the safety of countless others should the worst happen.

You reluctantly agreed and soon moved into the facility to begin your new job.

Bucky, on the other hand, was full of conflicting emotions. He saw himself, first and foremost, as a constant danger to those around him and couldn’t understand why people were being put at risk just so he could be on the team. It was also clearly apparent that the only person he entirely trusted was Steve and when he wasn’t around, Bucky had no desire to engage in conversation with others at the facility. But most of all, he made it abundantly clear that he was completely underwhelmed by your presence.

_“Her?” Bucky asked Steve, looking at you with a stoic expression on his face._

_“She_ is _still in the room.” You responded, hands resting in your pockets. Without a response, Bucky pulled his best friend to one side and whatever discussion they had appeared to be fuelled by a fair amount of displeasure on Bucky’s part. With one last look towards you, he left the room, heading towards the living quarters._

_Steve watched him leave before turning to you with an apologetic look._

_“Well, I guess it could have gone worse.” You broke the silence, looking between Maria and Steve._

_“Look, I know Buck. It’s just going to take him a little while to adjust.” Steve said._

_“Well, I’m not going anywhere, so I guess he’s going to have to,” You responded before picking up the bags at your feet, “now, can somebody show me where I’ll be staying?”_

Maria had been the one to give you the lowdown on the facility and you spent the first few days memorising the entire layout along with the security systems and emergency procedures that were in place.

Then the fun really began.

Bucky acted like you were invisible for the first few weeks, unless you asked him a direct question which he usually responded to with a one-word answer. After that, you noticed him glancing at you throughout the day before turning away jaw clenched and a general air of irritation surrounding him. The way he acted almost caused a sense a paranoia to set in. Had you really done something to piss him off? You wracked your brain and sifted through every memory you had, from the very first time you’d met to the current moment in time. But nothing stood out. You’d been professional about the situation, except for occasionally attempting to break the ice with casual conversation to get to know the guy, but he’d always made it perfectly clear he wanted to keep his distance. Which was perfectly acceptable given the circumstances, but his attitude was beginning to grate on you.  
Despite the lack of dialog, he soon gained the confidence to make comments on your day-to-day activities. As if the insolent tone of his voice didn’t irk you enough, the comments insinuating you were incapable of carrying out the simplest of tasks was just downright infuriating.  
  
_The delivery of new equipment for the training room had arrived and involved several large, heavy boxes that needed hauling to the east wing. You’d offered to help and grabbed the closest one to you._  
  
_“You sure you can handle that, princess?” Bucky said as he walked passed you to grab two of the boxes himself._  
  
_“You want to mind your own business, soldier?” You responded, attempting to brush off the comment instead of rising to the provocation, but inside you were reeling._  
  
And that was how things continued. Snide remarks from him and progressively angrier retorts from you. Once your patience had been worn to its bare bones, you finally decided to broach the topic of the hostility between you.

_“Is this really how you want to continue?” You asked, as Bucky made to pass you by in the kitchen after yet another condescending statement._

_“What?” He said, surprised by your confrontation._

_“This. This constant berating that I’ve had to put up with from you. It’s pathetic.”_

_He looked away. You could tell he was trying to hold back from what he really wanted to say, but his resolve shattered when he looked back at you, his eyes running down your entire body._  
  
_“No.” He said, leaning in close. “What’s pathetic, is that you are all they’ve put in place to stop me when it all goes to hell again and believe me it will.”_

 _It took a moment for you to register what he’d said. That the whole problem was because he simply doubted you and your capabilities._  
  
_“Wait, that’s it?” You almost wanted to laugh. “You really think I can’t take you down if I have to?”_

_“You can’t.”  He responded with absolute certainty, but despite the arrogance in his words, his eyes told a different story. There was fear in them. Fear that he couldn’t be stopped and fear that he would probably kill you without a second thought if the situation arose. You felt a pang of sympathy as you looked at him, and tried to think of a way to reassure Bucky that he was in good hands._

_“Alright, give me a second.” You moved over to the cupboards on the back wall and reached for your water bottle, while Bucky watched curiously. Filling it up to the brim from the drinking tap, you screwed the lid on tightly before turning towards him. “Let’s go, Barnes.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“You heard me. East wing. Training room. Let’s go.” You removed your button-down shirt, leaving you in the tank underneath and grabbed your hand-wraps from your gym bag, which had been slung clumsily on the floor next to the breakfast counter. Fixing them tight around your fists, you started to move towards the doorway on the other side of the room._

_“Are you kidding me? You wanna get yourself hurt to prove a point?”_

_“You can keep talking that talk all you want, but you’re not the big bad you make yourself out to be.”_

_Bucky soon caught up with you, grabbing your upper arm and spinning you around to face him._

_“How would you know what I am?” He asked, his breathing heavy and frustration evident. You squared up to him, yanking your arm from his grasp and looking him dead in the eye._

_“Because I see you soldier. I see you every god damn day and believe me when I say you are more than what HYDRA did to you.” He jaw clenched as soon as you mentioned them.  “They did some serious shit and I get that. But if Steve can still see you as the James Barnes he used to know, then I’m gonna believe you’re someone worth saving too. If that doesn’t count for something, then I don’t know what does.”_

_The silence weighed heavy for what felt like a long while before he spoke again._

_“It’s easier if you see me as the monster.” He said, a look of shame coming over him._

_“Barnes, I promise you…if I’m here, I will not let anybody get to you.” You paused. “But if they crack you again and I can’t save you…” You stopped mid-sentence, carefully choosing your next words. You now knew why Bucky had been putting up such a front. Every single word out of Bucky’s mouth had been to purposefully push you away. He was worried. You recognised that and deep down, he was just playing the part to try and make it easier for you. So, that when the time came, you would act without hesitation._

_“Go on.” He prompted, snapping you from your contemplation. You looked up at him and the sadness in his expression pained you. Shaking it off, you took a deep breath and garnered the courage to tell him the truth._  
  
_“If I can’t save you, Barnes. I’ll stop you.”  You finally said. You were here exactly for that reason and you were here to do your job. But damn, you felt for the guy. It wasn’t his fault he’d been used as a weapon and made to carry out so many atrocities. The poor guy wasn’t even in charge of his own mind or allowed an essence of free will when he was under HYDRA control. No wonder he hated himself for the things he’d done._  
  
_“Show me.” Bucky said._  
  
_“Lead the way.” You replied and followed him out to the east wing._

* * *

“I can just imagine your reaction!” Maria said with a laugh.

“I know, right? I genuinely thought only one of us would walk out of there alive.” You shook your head, replaying it in your mind. You were used to sparring with team mates, but that day, there had been a very different atmosphere in the training room. You had both been there for one reason only: to prove a point. It wasn’t a simple training session. It wasn’t about beating your own personal best. It was to show you were better than your opponent, a strength you were both fighting hard to demonstrate.

“So, who came out on top?” She asked, picking up her beer and taking a long drink.

“It was pretty…even.” You weren’t lying. Every time he got one up on you, you countered. Every time you got one up on him, he surprised you with a counter of his own. “On the plus side, we’ve learned a lot about each other. Well, about our combat styles at least. I guess it’s prepared us a little more for the worst.”  
  
“I guess it has,” Maria nodded in understanding and sighed “Shame, he seems like a good guy.”

“I think he is, Maria. I really- “

“Ladies?!” A loud knocking came from the closed door and you recognised the muffled voice as Clint. “You decent in there?” You opened the door to greet him and he gave you an attentive once over. “Well look at you. I gotta say, this,” He pointed to your outfit, “works.”

You smiled in response and let out a laugh. “Thanks Barton. You better enjoy it, it’s a one night only attraction.”  
  
“In that case, we should probably get you to the ball Cinderella.” He replied and offered you his arm.

“What does that make me? The ugly sister?” Maria chimed in.

“Oh god no. You’re the fairy godmother, Hill. You sure as hell make my dreams come true.” He joked with a wink and all three of you erupted into laughter. Taking an arm each, the three of you followed the sound of pumping music to the party.

The bar was backlit against the far wall as you entered and the room was full of both familiar faces and new. There was a dancefloor a little past a comfortable seating area to your left and the lights seemed much dimmer in that part of the room, to give way to the various coloured disco lights moving around the floor.

“Drinks?” Clint asked.

“Definitely.” Maria answered and you nodded in agreement as you all head towards the bar. You then noticed Steve leaning against it looking your way. You couldn’t read his lips from where you were, but whatever he said caused the man in front of him to turn around and look straight at you.

You almost tripped over thin air as your eyes locked with Bucky’s.

From the back, you hadn’t realised it was him. His hair had been cut slightly shorter and he was dressed in a sharp suit. He looked good. _Really_ good. You quickly shook the thoughts from your head, blaming it on the couple of beers you’d already consumed and forced yourself to look away. Once you arrived at the bar and Clint had ordered you a round of drinks, you quickly settled into conversation and soaked up the atmosphere in the room.

 _‘The club isn't the best place to find a lover  
So the bar is where I go.’_  

“Oh, we are so dancing to this.” Maria exclaimed as the beat changed to a brand-new song.

 “You guys go ahead. I’m gonna finish this.” You said, holding up the drink in your hand.

 _‘And you come over and start up a conversation with just me  
And trust me I'll give it a chance now’_  

“Alright, come on Barton.” With that they both head over to the dancefloor, bopping to the music along the way.

You couldn’t help but sing along as you watched them go, losing sight of them quickly in between the dancing bodies and flashing lights.

_‘Girl, you know I want your love  
Your love was handmade for somebody like me.’_

“You’re not dancing?” A voice to your left asked. You looked up to see Bucky staring down at you.

“Not yet. You asking me to dance?”

“Not yet.” He said, his intense gaze never once leaving yours. “You want me to?"

‘ _Say, boy, let's not talk too much_  
_Grab on my waist and put that body on me.’_

You didn’t answer him, instead you had the sudden urge to test whether the man knew how to have a little fun. You took the drink from his hand and placed it on the bar along with yours and beckoned him to follow you. Silently, you made your way to the darker side of the room, occasionally stealing glances over your shoulder to check he was still with you.

 _‘I'm in love with the shape of you_  
_We push and pull like a magnet do_  
_Although my heart is falling too_  
_I'm in love with your body.’_

Pushing your way through the small crowd, you soon found a spot on the dancefloor and began to move to the beat of the music.

 _‘I'm in love with your body_  
_Oh I oh I oh I oh I_  
_I'm in love with your body_  
_Oh I oh I oh I oh I’_

At first Bucky just stood watching you, mesmerised by your movements and you thought for a split second he was regretting leaving the bar.

 _‘Every day discovering something brand new_  
_I'm in love with the shape of you’_

But then he surprised you. With a bite of his lip, he took a step towards you bringing your arms up and placing them around his neck. His fingers trailed slowly and lightly down your sides, before stopping to rest on your waist. Pulling you closer, his hips began to move in perfect rhythm with yours and you distinctly felt your heartrate accelerate at the contact. Of course, you’d been close to him before during your regular sparring sessions, but that was competitive. This, on the other hand, had nothing to do with competition. It was something else entirely. It wasn’t until his hands snaked around to rest on your lower back to hold you against him completely, that you realised what you were feeling was pure, unadulterated lust.

 _‘And leave and get in a taxi, then kiss in the backseat_  
_Tell the driver make the radio play.’_

As the song continued, his head dipped down until his lips were ghosting down the side of your neck causing you to arch into him. On any other night, with any other person, you were sure you would have been more aware of your surroundings and the other people in the room. But all of that had dissolved and right now your mind was flooded with nothing but your need for the man dancing with you. You weren't sure whether these new feelings were the result of months of tension you hadn't wanted to admit to yourself or whether this was just two people effected by one too many beverages.

 _‘Come on, be my baby, come on_  
_Come on, be my baby, come on.’_

You felt the tickle of his breath against your cheek as he moved towards your mouth and in no time his lips were inches from yours. But he didn’t move any closer. He stayed right where he was, his tongue running along his bottom lip in anticipation.

“You gonna kiss me, Barnes?” You whispered against his lips.

 _‘Come on, be my baby, come on_  
_Come on, be my baby, come on.’_

“That would be a very bad idea.” He responded, but despite his words, he didn’t move any further away from you.

 _‘Come on, be my baby, come on_  
_Come on, be my baby, come on.’_

“It feels like a great idea.” You confessed.

 _‘Come on, be my baby, come on_  
_Come on, be my baby, come on.’_

“That’s the drink talking, princess.”

 _‘I'm in love with your body_  
_Every day discovering something brand new_  
_I'm in love with the shape of you’_

The music came to an end and for a moment you expected his lips to finally meet yours, you expected it and craved it. But Bucky pulled away reluctantly. Without a word, he brought your hand to his lips and kissed it gently, leaving you feeling cooler without the warmth of his body against you. He gave you a disappointed smile before making his way back through the crowd and you watched him leave the party completely.

Sitting yourself next to Maria, who had now taken a seat on one of the couches, you spent the rest of the evening wondering what the hell had just happened between you and the Winter Soldier.

* * *

 

The next morning, you awoke and decided to take a long bath to help clear your head. Although you knew you'd have to face him eventually, you were dreading seeing Bucky after the events of the previous night. You soaked until the water had gone cold and you finally resigned yourself to getting out and getting yourself dressed, although you had nothing specifically planned for the day ahead.

Making your way to the kitchen, the smell of coffee hit you as soon as you entered and a strange feeling of nervousness came over you as you saw Bucky sat at the counter sipping his coffee and reading a newspaper. You awkwardly made eye contact, but you chose not to say anything. Instead you moved over to the freshly brewed coffee and began to pour yourself a cup, although you could feel his gaze practically burning a hole through you.

“Listen, about last night…” He said quietly.

“Barnes, really, it’s fine. We don’t need to talk about it.”

“Really?” He responded, frowning at you.

“Look, I get it. We got a little carried away. But it’s business as usual now, so let’s just forget about it okay?” You snapped, feeling embarrassed, but when you looked up at him you were surprised to see hurt spread across his face.

“Right, of course.” He said and stepped down from the tall stool, making his way out to leave you alone once again. But before he could reach the door, he turned back around, his voice louder and more confident this time. “ _Was_ it the drink talking?”

“What?”

“Last night, you said it felt like a great idea. Was it the drink?”

“I guess so, probably, I don’t know Barnes, I can’t really remember how I felt…” But before you could finish talking, he was striding towards you with no intention of slowing down. His arms circled around your waist and he pulled you firmly against him, his mouth once again so close to yours it elicited a small gasp to escape your lips.

“How does it feel now?” He rasped.

“Barnes…”

“Yeah…”

“We shouldn’t…”

“We shouldn’t, what…”

But with each whisper your lips had moved closer and before you knew it the two of you were locked in a heated kiss, your hands desperately seeking to pull him closer. You realised you couldn’t blame how you’d felt last night on anything else other than the truth. The truth that you really had grown to care for him and you wanted this more than anything. Through the kisses, touches and clothing that had started to litter the floor, it was apparent your job had just become a whole lot more complicated.

But this was one conflict of interest you vowed to enjoy every second of.


End file.
